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Chico council upholds appeal, delays requirement to underground existing overhead utilities at 2280 Nord Avenue
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Summary
Council voted 7-0 to uphold an appeal by the applicant for a tentative parcel map at 2280 Nord Avenue after developers and builders argued a staff interpretation requiring undergrounding of existing overhead utilities was novel, costly and could deter housing; council directed staff to bring the Title 18R code section back for discussion.
Chico City Council voted unanimously to uphold an appeal of a Map Advisory Committee condition that would have required undergrounding existing overhead utilities adjacent to a subdivision at 2280 Nord Avenue.
Christian Gianpoli of Epic Homes, who presented the appeal, said the city gave two weeks' notice before the MAC decision that it would require existing overhead utilities along the project frontage to be undergrounded. Gianpoli told council that private contractor estimates put the cost at roughly $707–$755 per linear foot and that PG&E's ballpark costs could be similarly large; he argued the interpretation is new for Chico and would threaten the feasibility of small infill and subdivision projects.
Multiple local builders and engineers testified in support of the appeal. Builder Pat Conroy said he has never seen existing lines required to be trenched out and buried for a single parcel subdivision and said such a requirement adds hundreds of thousands of dollars to costs. Project engineer Keith Dolio said his firm's historic records show no prior condition requiring existing overhead lines be undergrounded in a subdivision approval.
Staff presented the municipal code provision cited (Title 18R.08080A) and explained their reading that "all utilities shall be installed and placed underground" could be applied to utilities associated with a subdivision, whether new or existing; staff acknowledged there have been examples and waivers in both directions. After discussion, Councilmember O'Brien moved to approve the appeal and request a future council discussion of Title 18R; the motion passed 7-0, overturning the MAC condition for this parcel and directing staff to return with options for clarifying the code.
